diff --git a/components/bootloader_support/src/bootloader_init.c b/components/bootloader_support/src/bootloader_init.c
index 9cf02b02b..2a1f1e484 100644
--- a/components/bootloader_support/src/bootloader_init.c
+++ b/components/bootloader_support/src/bootloader_init.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "sdkconfig.h"
+#include "esp_attr.h"
 #include "esp_log.h"
 #include "bootloader_init.h"
 #include "bootloader_flash.h"
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@
 
 static const char *TAG = "boot";
 
-esp_image_header_t bootloader_image_hdr;
+esp_image_header_t WORD_ALIGNED_ATTR bootloader_image_hdr;
 
 void bootloader_clear_bss_section(void)
 {
diff --git a/components/bootloader_support/src/esp_image_format.c b/components/bootloader_support/src/esp_image_format.c
index f3693e58b..37d23a41f 100644
--- a/components/bootloader_support/src/esp_image_format.c
+++ b/components/bootloader_support/src/esp_image_format.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <esp_secure_boot.h>
 #include <esp_fault.h>
 #include <esp_log.h>
+#include <esp_attr.h>
 #include <esp_spi_flash.h>
 #include <bootloader_flash.h>
 #include <bootloader_random.h>
@@ -722,7 +723,7 @@ static esp_err_t verify_checksum(bootloader_sha256_handle_t sha_handle, uint32_t
     length = (length + 15) & ~15; // Pad to next full 16 byte block
 
     // Verify checksum
-    uint8_t buf[16];
+    WORD_ALIGNED_ATTR uint8_t buf[16];
     esp_err_t err = bootloader_flash_read(data->start_addr + unpadded_length, buf, length - unpadded_length, true);
     uint8_t calc = buf[length - unpadded_length - 1];
     uint8_t checksum = (checksum_word >> 24)